Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I'm Jenn. I'm new here, but I've read for awhile and didn't see this question. My mom has an older RES - he's eight years old, and about nine inches from edge to edge, longways. How much should she be feeding him, and in what proportions? Veggies to meat to Reptomin? He currently eats about 10 Reptomin sticks every other day, and veggies (spinach, carrots, lettuce) every day. She hasn't given him meat of fish for about a year, since he's older and basically a herbivore now.

My question is, is this right? She's had him for eight years, since he was quarter-size, so she's doing something right - he's never had an infection, or had any health problems that we know of - but we also want to be careful, since he's older, and probably more succeptible to things. She also realized a couple of years ago that she was feeding him too much Reptomin and not nearly enough veggies, so for years he was getting way too much protien. He's such a great, active, engaging turtle, we don't want anything to happen to him if we can do anything to avoid it! I would appreciate any help or information. I've attached a photo of him sunbathing on his rock

Thanks,
Jenn

Feed a combination of the following foods

Commercial diets (No more than 25% of the total diet)
Animal Protein (No more than 25% of the total diet)
Plant matter (50% or more of the total diet)

---and maybe since he's mainly a 'vegetarian' now, make about 60% of his diet plant matter. good luck!!

Thanks. How much volume? Typically for veggies he grazes, and attacks his Reptomin like it's candy. Should he always have veggies available, or just what he eats in a certain time frame?

If he always has food available, he'll most likely always eat it. Just feed him all the food he'll eat in 15 or 20 minutes. You'll prob. have to stand there and watch him to know how much he's consuming. I don't know how much by volume to feed but over time you'll prob. be able to figure out how much of what to feed your lil' guy.

The turtle looks really healthy, I wouldn't change a thing!

He is likely a she.

Katrina

Feed him more vegetables.....but stay away from spinach. Its not good for your turtle. Instaed feed him collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion leaves, romaine lettuce.

from my own research on the topic, including this forum, feed him/her as much as he will eat in a specific time frame. i feed mine till they stop eating, usually about 15 minutes. hope this helps. by the way, that is a GREAT looking turtle, i think your mother is doing things correctly.

she sounds like she's doing a great job.

By the way, "he" is a she.